If God has gifted you to tell a good story, write a good book, or direct a good play, there will be opportunities for you. You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. Sadly, too often creativity is smothered rather than nurtured. There has to be a climate in which new ways of thinking, perceiving, questioning are encouraged. — Maya Angelou
My new book is out in Japanese and English, dedicated to my wife of 11 years. I decided what better way to honor her than to write a letter to her every weekend and publish a book in her honor in Japanese and Engish. Available for purchase here:
The title of the book is:
本の紹介：
妻との11年目の結婚生活へ向けての1年間、毎週土曜日に妻へ手紙を書くことにした。本作は、妻と子と、神に対するあふれんばかりの感謝を込めた52通の手紙を収めたものである。それぞれの手紙は11年の結婚生活を記念して11文で構成されている。妻をどれだけ愛しているか、妻に対してどう感じているのか、彼の気持ちを彼女に伝えるのに、あと10年待ってからでは遅すぎる。彼は書いた。手紙は夫婦の絆を深めうるということに彼は気付いたのだ。手紙を書くことで、彼の心に彼女が広がり、感謝の気持ちが湧いてくる。週末ごとに、彼はそんな特別な方法で夫婦として繋がることができた。まだ小さくて活発な、二人の男の子（7歳のジョンと4歳のマックス）の共働きの親として、お互いに自分の時間の確保が難しい日々。彼が土曜日の朝に書き続けたこの手紙は、苦楽を共にしてくれた妻へ感謝を表すと共に、妻が彼にとってどれだけ特別な存在か再確認する機会となった。絵理子は彼の愛する妻であり、友人であり、同僚でもある。
After 10 years of marriage, I decided to write a letter to my wife each Saturday of the week for an entire year. This was the start of 52 letters to my wife. Each letter is composed of 11 sentences to commemorate 11 years of marriage. The letters touch upon themes of family, faith, and children. I simply wanted to express how I felt about my wife and I did not want to wait another 10 years to tell her how much I love her. I learned that a simple letter could strengthen our relationship further. I could express my feelings more intimately. It allowed her access into my heart and feel appreciated. We were able to connect each weekend as a married couple in a special way. As the busy parents of two young, energetic boys (John aged 7 and Max aged 4), we often do not have time for ourselves let alone each other. My Saturday morning letter writing ritual gave me an opportunity to express my gratitude and carve out a space to let the person who has been by my side through ups and downs know how special she is to me. I am truly blessed to have a loving wife and friend and confidant. Sending you 52 letters with love.
American history is diverse, and there is still much that is not widely taught. A little-known site in Lorton, Virginia, is the former Workhouse Prison, now home to the Lucy Burns Museum. From 1917 to 1918, Lucy Burns and other suffragists were imprisoned there for picketing the White House in support of a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote.
Today, the former prison cells remain visible, now filled with powerful works of art. The transformation of confinement into creativity is striking. Thanks to the courage of these women, generations of Americans can exercise the right to vote.
Among the artwork on display is a powerful painting honoring Ida B. Wells and confronting the evils of racism, a reminder that the struggle for justice has taken many forms across American history.
Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington also performed on site, adding another layer of cultural history to this remarkable place. There is much to explore at the Lucy Burns Museum. It is well worth a visit.
Places like the Lucy Burns Museum remind us that constitutional change often begins with ordinary citizens willing to endure extraordinary sacrifice. Civic progress rarely comes without courage. The right to vote, now taken for granted by many, was secured because individuals stood firm in the face of opposition. History is not only something to study. It is something to learn from.
Ken Reiman is a diplomat, author, and global affairs speaker whose work reflects faith, leadership, and lived international experience.